One of Those Days
by Misfit Muse
Summary: With the war finally over, Hermione is able to pursue her goals without distraction. Or, at least that was what she had hoped. Hermione soon realizes that distraction has many different forms. One just happens to have perfect blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. Can she make it through this? Or will it turn out to be just another one of those days where nothing goes as planned?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi everyone! This is my first Hermione/Fleur story, so I hope you like it. I really adore this pairing. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OCs. Don't sue me! lolz.

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Chapter One

_Today is just going to turn out to be one of those days_, Hermione thought. After having woken up late, she tripped over Crookshanks and knocked over a bookshelf, scattering books all over the floor of her flat. Then she somehow managed to burn her toast while spilling orange juice all over her favorite shirt. And if that wasn't stressful enough, she started the first day of her internship at the Ministry of Magic in twenty minutes. _I'll make a great first impression with my clumsiness today: "Hello, good sir—oh dear I seem to have spilt your coffee all over those important, irreplaceable documents, I beg your pardon—So anyways, it's very nice to finally meet you, my name is Hermione Granger and I'll be interning here for the next six months."_

She sighed, looking over to where Crookshanks had darted behind the couch. Even he knew to stay away from her. "Quite a day, indeed." She muttered to herself. She was so busy scrambling to get ready (and to clean up the books off the floor by hand; after all, books should be treated with extra care) she didn't even notice the loud crack that came from the kitchen.

"Hey 'Mione!" Ron called, "Are you ready for your first day?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. She really didn't need any distractions right now. "I thought I told you to Apparate _outside_ my flat, Ronald."

He shrugged and watched her for a moment while she was placing the last of her books back on the shelf (by order of subject, author, and date of publishing). "C'mon 'Mione, you know we've been together for at least eight months now. I think that I have a right to visit you when I feel like it."

Hermione just sighed in response. Fighting would be pointless right now, not to mention counter productive to her current time constraints. So instead she went into her room to change her clothes and fix her hair. She looked much more presentable by the time she walked back into the kitchen. Ron was inspecting the contents of her refrigerator. What a shock. _Does he ever think of anything besides food, Quidditch, and women?_

"I'm leaving now, Ronald." She said as she grabbed her coat and handbag (she had placed an Undetectable Extension Charm on it to carry her things). Ron looked up and closed the door to her refrigerator, sauntering over to her. "How about a kiss goodbye then?" he asked, already leaning in.

Hermione turned away at the last minute, which resulted in him kissing her cheek. "I don't have time Ronald, I'm going to be late."

She spun around and Disapparated all while wondering why she had turned away when he tried to kiss her. Ron was her boyfriend and she had been pining over him for three years, right? So then…why? She'd be sure to find an (excuse) explanation for her actions later.

When Hermione arrived at the Ministry of Magic, she quickly made her way to the Atrium, where she spotted the words "All New Interns, Please Assemble Here" shimmering in the air and hovering over a group of people who, Hermione surmised, were also there to begin their internships. One of the young men looked at her as she made her way towards them.

"Uh, hi." He said shyly, "I'm Terrance. You wouldn't happen to be Hermione Granger, would you?"

A majority of the intern group paused in their conversations and turned to stare at her with awe. Excited murmurs of "It really is her!" and "Wow, I can't believe she's really here!" rippled through the crowd.

Even though the war had ended over ten months ago, Hermione still hadn't quite gotten used to the attention. She felt her face get hot, but managed to reply confidently.

"It is nice to meet you, Terrance." She spoke with a polite, even tone. "Yes, I am Hermione Granger. However, I am no more special than anyone else here, so I'd appreciate not to be made into a spectacle."

At this, everyone in the group sheepishly turned back to their conversations.

Terrance looked at her apologetically, his black hair falling over his eyes. He kind of reminded her of Harry, his eyes were a similar hazel green.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to draw attention to you. It's just…well, you and the others saved my little sister during the final battle. I just wanted to thank you for that." He was staring at his feet when he finished, his cheeks slightly pink. Hermione thought it was kind of cute, actually. Then she felt a twinge of guilt for being so blunt.

"No, please don't apologize. I suppose I'm just a little frazzled this morning, and I really don't enjoy hero-worship anyway..."

Terrance smiled. "Noted," then he added with a touch of humor in his voice, "Rough morning I take it, then?"

Hermione just sighed and rolled her eyes with exasperation. "You don't know the half of it." Then she allowed herself a small smile.

When they returned their attention back to the crowd, everyone was being divided into groups of three and ushered into separate rooms off to the side. Hermione was happy that Terrance had been placed into her group. At least she had one potential friend to look forward to.

The other member was a small, frail looking girl with deep auburn hair that was pulled back into a messy bun. Large, thick glasses sat in front of her wide blue eyes, and freckles dusted themselves across her nose and cheeks. The poor thing looked terribly nervous; Hermione could've sworn she'd seen the girl tremble slightly inside the large knit sweater she'd been wearing.

The room that they were corralled into appeared to be a sitting room of sorts, almost like a lounge. A coffee table sat comfortably in the center of the room with a few chairs and a sofa placed around it.

Hermione sat in one of the chairs, while Terrance seated himself across from her on the sofa. The nervous girl stood, her gaze glued to the floor. Silence loomed over them.

"So," Terrance spoke suddenly, "I guess we've been grouped up, or something right?"

Hermione nodded. "I think this means that we'll all be interning on the same floor at the Ministry."

She knew that each floor had been designated for a specific department, and she had noticed that the number of intern groups had matched the number of departments. It wasn't too difficult to put two and two together after that.

Terrance looked at the nervous girl for a moment, before slowly rising and walking over to her. "Um, hello there." He greeted somewhat awkwardly.

The girl's eyes snapped up to meet his, her expression slightly startled. "H-Hi." She said softly. Her voice was so quiet Hermione had to strain her ears to hear it.

"So um," Terrance began, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, "My name's Terrance Camellia, and," he turned to look at Hermione, who took her cue to stand and introduce herself.

"And I am Hermione Granger," she greeted, holding her hand out for the nervous girl to shake, "It's very nice to meet you."

The auburn haired girl stared at the offered hand for a few moments before shyly taking it. "M-My name is Phoebe," she said quietly, "Phoebe Rose. I-It's nice to meet you as well." By the end of her introduction, her face resembled the color of her auburn hair.

Terrance smiled, shaking her hand next. "Phoebe Rose, huh? That's a pretty name. Hey, did you notice that both your surname and my surname are named after flowers? Kind of cool, right?"

Phoebe stared at him, and Hermione could see the faintest of smiles touch her lips.

Just then the door to the room opened, and an elderly man stepped into the room. He was a tall yet slightly hunched over man with an abnormally long pointy nose and a balding head with white tufts of hair sticking out oddly on either side of his head. His eyes were an unnerving shade of yellow. He approached the three and extended a wrinkly spider-like hand out toward them. For some reason this made Hermione inwardly cringe.

"Hello, you three," he spoke in a gravelly voice, "I am in charge of the internship program here at the ministry, among other things. You may call me Mr. Malik."

Phoebe took a timid step behind Terrance, and Hermione looked at the offered hand with silent unease. It seemed foreboding somehow. Terrance seemed to silently agree, because he narrowed his eyes at it.

"So who are we interning for?" Terrance asked.

Mr. Malik retracted his hand, reaching into his coat pocket and removing three small cards from it. "You are all going to be interning on the fourth floor, The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," he handed each of them a card, "You are to report to the room written on your assignment card."

Without another word, he left the room.

"Well," Hermione sighed, "This is where it all begins, isn't it?"

The other two nodded in silent agreement.

When they stepped out of the elevator and onto the 4th floor, Hermione looked at her assignment card. It read: "Room 4-24; Being Division". Well, alright then, she thought.

"Being division, huh?" Terrance spoke over her shoulder, "I got assigned Spirit Division. What about you, Phoebe?"

The girl in question looked down at her card and frowned. "Beast division." She mumbled.

Terrance patted her on the back affectionately. "Don't be so glum! I hear that division's really fun! It has unicorns, right? Better than mine, anyway."

Phoebe smiled at him for a moment, and then she began to walk down one of the three branching hallways towards her post.

Terrance turned back to Hermione once she was out of view. "She's kind of cute isn't she?" he said with a slight blush, "In a lost kitten sort of way…"

Hermione playfully rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just ask her out for coffee or something then?"

Terrance sputtered and stared at the ground, his face turning nine different shades of red. "O-Oh, well, um, I don't think she'd, uh, want, um—A-Anyway! We are going to be late for the, uh, the thing, uh, the internship thing! Yeah, so, see you later Hermione!"

He bolted off in a random direction, leaving Hermione to watch him leave with an entirely amused smile. She was just about to go to her assigned post herself when she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She turned to see an out of breath Terrance.

"Wrong…*wheeze*…Wrong way…" Terrance panted, his hands resting on his knees to steady himself. When he finally caught his breath, he bid Hermione goodbye once again before leaving down a different hallway. This time Hermione laughed heartily as he left.

"Now then," Hermione said quietly to herself, "I had better find my way as well."

From what Hermione had seen (memorized) of the floor plan of the Ministry, all she needed to do was follow the hallway Terrance had initially sprinted down. Of course, she would be calmly walking down it, like any mature adult would do.

Hermione began to wonder whom she would be working for. A few frightening images came to mind, all baring an odd resemblance to Mr. Malik. Or maybe they wouldn't be human at all! Maybe she'd end up working for a beastly sort of creature, like a scary manticore. Then she laughed at her exaggerated thoughts because she knew with absolute certainty that the Ministry did not employ manticores. Or at least she hoped not.

By the time Hermione was standing in front of the door to Room 4-24 of the Being Division, her nerves had escalated quite a bit. Her hand shook slightly as she reached for the knob, and she tried to calm herself by mentally reciting the many different properties of dragon's blood.

The room she entered appeared to be some kind of office, with a large lounge space off to the side. Unlike the previous lounge, this one was very tastefully furnished. Warm, earthen hues bathed the room with a calm sophistication. Elegantly crafted furniture was arranged in a very practical, yet somehow intimate way. The office was decorated in a similar manor. All in all, the entire room felt very…sensual.

Hermione took a few steps into the office and felt slightly out of place. Whoever this person was, they had very mature tastes. Not that Hermione minded. In fact, she quite liked the décor, if she were to be perfectly honest with herself.

Hermione was actually beginning to wonder where her assigned boss was when, the big chair sitting at the desk suddenly swiveled around.

"It 'az been a while, 'Ermione."

"Fleur!?"

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Hope you all enjoyed that little cliff hanger. Fear not! The next chapter is already done. ; )


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Tell me, what did you think of the OCs: Terrance and Phoebe? If you hated them, I can make them appear less, I suppose. Anywho, I just wanted to hear your feedback. Enjoy~

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Chapter Two

Hermione could only stare in shock at the sight before her. Silky silvery blonde hair framed a perfectly stunning face. Two deep cerulean pools were displayed amidst a flawless complexion, drawing her into their lovely depths. Hermione was beginning to wonder if it was humanly possible for Fleur to have become even more beautiful since she'd last seen her at Fred's funeral ten months ago. Possible or no, it appeared to be reality.

"I must be very lucky today," Fleur said, rising gracefully from her chair, "My intern is ze smartest witch of ze age." Then, in a playful tone, she added, "Not to mention zat she 'as also become very beautiful as well."

Hermione felt her face get hot, and hoped to Merlin that she wasn't blushing. Then she realized she hadn't spoken a word since her surprised outburst, and decided that she needed to say something in order to avoid looking like some kind of star-struck fool.

"You look nice as well, Fleur." She said, trying to maintain a casual, yet professional tone, "How have you been since…well, you know…"

"Ze war?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well it 'az been a, 'ow do you say, 'time of uncertainty' for us all." Then Fleur smiled warmly at her, "But zere are most certainly times where we can enjoy ze peace we fought so 'ard for and find 'appiness, non?"

At this, Hermione couldn't help but return the blonde's smile. "I think we can all agree on that."

They fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments, each reflecting on times past. Hermione was the first to speak again.

"So, do you have any work that I can help you with?" she asked, glancing at some of the papers on Fleur's desk. Most of them appeared to be propositions for different law regulations.

The blonde smiled. "Eager to get to work, aren't we?" then she shook her head with an airy laugh, "Some zings never change."

"I was just trying to be helpful." Hermione grumbled, glaring at the wood flooring.

Another airy laugh. "Zen I will certainly 'old you to zat, mon amie. But 'ow about we 'ave some tea first?"

Hermione nodded sheepishly and watched as Fleur left the room for a moment to go get the tea. Probably from the employee kitchen or something, she surmised.

While alone, Hermione took time to survey the room once more. The closer she speculated the more she could see the traces of Fleur that existed in the décor. It was no wonder that she'd found the room to be overtly sensual, because that's exactly the kind of aura Fleur has.

The only odd thing Hermione found was that there were no pictures of Bill present. How strange…

Just then, Fleur entered again with a tray that held two steaming mugs and a plate of bite-sized cookies. Hermione took one of the mugs and sat down on the sofa.

"Rosemary tea, isn't it?" she asked after taking a small sip, "Thank you, Fleur."

The blonde woman smiled before taking a sip. "I see zat you are very well versed in tea, mon amie."

Hermione allowed herself a playful smirk. "Well I am English, Fleur. Tea is kind of our thing."

Fleur's smile grew even wider. "Is zat so?"

Hermione smiled with pride. "Yes, I believe it is." Then an amusing thought occurred to her, so she added, "Though I doubt Ronald would be able to tell the difference between Green tea and Barley tea."

Fleur quirked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in amusement. "And 'ow is Ronald doing?"

Hermione blushed slightly. But not because she was embarrassed or anything. It just seemed kind of odd to talk about her relationship with him to Fleur. Then Hermione told herself she was being silly, and pressed forward.

"He's doing well." Then she faltered slightly, "We're actually, um, dating…" she trailed off and took another hearty sip of her tea.

Fleur's expression remained neutral. "I see. Zat is good for you zen, oui?"

Hermionie looked anywhere but at Fleur. For some reason the brunette felt like the atmosphere had changed, almost as if it had become heavier.

"Yes," Hermione said slowly, "I love him very much." Her own voice sounded strange to her ears.

Fleur smiled at her, but there seemed to be something slightly different about it this time. Hermione just couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"I wish you ze greatest 'appiness." Fleur said with sincerity.

Hermione smiled at this. "Thank you, Fleur. And to you, as well."

They sat in silence for a few moments, each sipping their tea and munching on a couple cookies. Hermione, yet again, was the first to speak.

"So, how is Bill doing?" she asked.

Fleur set down her mug. "I believe 'e is doing fine. Zough, I must tell you we are no longer seeing each other."

Hermione gasped in surprise. "What? Why? Did something happen?"

Fleur shook her head. "Non, we separated peacefully." Then a look of sadness came over her, "I could not love 'im ze way we both wished." She sighed. "Fate can be quite cruel zometimes, ma cherie."

Hermione thought of Harry, and all he had to struggle through because of so-called destiny. "It most certainly can be difficult, Fleur." She softly agreed.

The blonde suddenly stood up, a look of determination upon her face. "Well, why don't we shake off all zis negativity with a little 'ard work, oui?"

Hermione smiled. "Sounds like an excellent plan."

Fleur smiled playfully. "We shall see if you are singing ze same tune after you see 'ow much work we 'ave to do."

Hermione returned the playfulness with a smirk. "I always love a challenge."

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When Fleur was home for the evening, she curled up by the fireplace with a book and a cup of coffee. The pages might as well have been blank though, because not a single word entered her mind as her eyes ran vacantly over the printed letters. Her thoughts were already consuming her mind.

_Why_, she wondered, _why must fate torment me so?_

She knew it was all pointless anyhow. Her destiny was to be full of both longing and disappointment. Of course, Fleur herself wasn't helping to change it.

_Rosemary tea_, she thought sadly, _How ironic._

She knew that rosemary signified remembrance in the language of flowers. Just like how she could not forget the day her life was thrown into a never ending loop of turmoil. She was cursed to never forget the feelings she holds.

_Maybe things will look better tomorrow,_ Fleur mused hopefully, _Perhaps today is just one of those days._

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Please review, I would love to hear your thoughts. : )


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Wow! You guys are so awesome for reviewing my story! Keep it up, and I'll be sure to update frequently. For those of you worried about angst, do not fear, for I intend to keep it at a minimum. I'm a big fan of light-hearted and fluffy romance too. :) Enjoy~

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Chapter Three

When Hermione awoke the next morning, she felt rejuvenated. Almost as if her slumber had been filled with peaceful dreams. _It is certainly an improvement from yesterday morning, _she thought to herself.

She walked merrily into the kitchen to feed Crookshanks and make herself a cup of coffee. The first ten pages of the Daily Prophet were still filled with articles about Harry, which Hermione couldn't help but smile at. He never could take a picture where he didn't look like an awkward little kid. But then again, that was a part of his charm she supposed.

A loud crack sounded from outside her apartment, causing Crookshanks to scurry into the other room. Hermione smiled when she heard the familiar voice call out.

"Hey 'Mione! Your bloody cat won't let go of my shoe!"

Hermione set her coffee down and rushed towards her guest, hugging them tightly.

"Oh Ginny! It's so nice to see you!" she said brightly.

The red head chuckled. "Merlin, you would think that I hadn't visited in years. It's been what? Three days?"

Hermione pouted and smacked her friend on the arm. "Well, excuse me for enjoying the company of my best friend!"

Ginny rubbed her arm with a look of mock pain. "Ow, 'Mione. If that's how you treat your honored guests, it's no wonder you don't get visitors too often."

Crookshanks chose that moment to meow really loudly, almost as if to say: "Hello? Remember me? The adorable cat that everyone loves? Yeah, well, I'm still here. Pet me, you fool."

Ginny giggled, bending down to scratch beneath his chin. "Yes, I didn't forget about you. Silly little thing."

Crookshanks purred in response.

"So Ginny, how are you?" Hermione asked, walking into the kitchen to prepare some tea for her, "I need to be at the Ministry in an hour, but I still have some time to chat."

Ginny grinned. "I'm touched that you would take some time out of your busy lifestyle to talk to me. I'm doing wonderfully, by the way. I know you don't keep up with the Quidditch season, but the Harpies are on fire this year! "

Hermione returned the smile. "I'm sure it's all thanks to you, Ginny. You're one of the best Chasers in the league."

Ginny smirked. "Any more flattery and I may just ask you to marry me now, Ron be damned." They both laughed at this. Afterwards, Hermione handed Ginny her tea, and received a grateful smile in return.

"Which reminds me," Ginny began again, taking a sip from her mug. "Ron sent me over because he was out on an Auror mission and won't be back until tomorrow. He wants to know if you could meet him for dinner this Saturday."

Hermione frowned. Typical Ronald. Saturday was still several days away; he could've just asked her when he returned.

"Tell him to pick me up at seven thirty." She dead panned.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at her friend's tone. "What's wrong? Are you two fighting?"

Hermione quickly shook her head. "No. I mean, not really. I just don't seem to have any time lately, and my patience is running thin because of it."

Ginny let her words sink in, pausing to take a thoughtful sip of her tea. "Well I guess that makes sense. You did just start your internship at the Ministry. By the way, how did that go?"

Hermione's thoughts were drawn back to yesterday's events, or more particularly, the events involving Fleur. The blonde had been so patient while teaching Hermione about the different processes of their work. Whenever the brunette had a question, Fleur made sure to explain the answer fully and in a way that was very easy to understand. When she was with her, Hermione felt respected. She felt genuinely cared for.

Of course, she couldn't really tell Ginny about all that. Why the red head still disliked Fleur, Hermione would never know.

"The internship is wonderful," she replied, "Everyone is very nice."

Ginny smiled. "Well then, I don't want to keep you from your 'wonderful' work."

Hermione gave her a hug. "Alright Ginny, I'll see you soon, right?"

Ginny returned the hug. "Sure thing. Maybe I'll bring Harry next time. He said he misses you."

Hermione smiled. "I miss him too. He's like the little brother I never had." Then she quickly pulled back from the hug, "Oh, but don't tell him I said that!"

"Too late!" With a devilish grin, Ginny spun around and Disapparated.

Hermione sighed, a helpless expression on her face. "So it's going to be one those days, is it?"

* * *

When Hermione arrived at the Ministry Atrium, she ran into Terrance and Phoebe, who appeared to be going over some kind of paperwork. Hermione also noticed that they both had coffees in their hands. She then decided to have a little fun.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked innocently.

They both snapped their heads up at the same time, each looking completely startled. Hermione eyed the coffee pointedly and flicked her eyes over to stare at Terrance.

The dark haired boy turned cherry red. "No! I mean, no...No! You're not uh, interrupting anything. Right, Phoebe?" he turned to her with a look of desperation.

Phoebe just stared at him blankly for a moment. Then she looked at Hermione, who had to strain to hear her words. "Well," Phoebe said quietly in her nervous voice, "W-We were just going over some of our assigned paperwork…"

Terrance nodded so quickly, Hermione thought that his head was going to detach itself from his neck. "Y-Yeah!" he cleared his throat, "And I found out that most of the people who work on our floor have some sort of non-human blood. Which I guess makes sense, if you think about it. My instructor was part banshee." He cringed. "Not exactly a chummy guy to be around."

Phoebe nodded. "M-My instructor was part dragon." Then she lowered her head to stare at her shoes. "H-He spits fire when he's angry."

Terrance nodded empathetically. "What about yours, Hermione?"

Hermione thought about what it would be like to have a banshee or a dragon as a mentor and decided that she was very lucky.

"My instructor is part Veela," Hermione said, unable to stop the hint of pride from entering her voice, "She is very patient with me."

Terrance pouted. "Well of course they gave you the good one!" he exclaimed with exasperation, "Man, I'm so jealous."

"She sounds lovely." Phoebe added softly, adjusting her thick glasses.

Terrance briefly smiled at her before turning back to question Hermione. "Is she beautiful?" he asked eagerly, "Sexy? Veela are supposed to be crazy attractive, right?"

Hermione blushed. Fleur was certainly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, but to question whether or not she was sexy…well, Hermione didn't know what she thought exactly. Did she find Fleur attractive?

"Well, I suppose she is rather stunning…" she answered shyly.

"Ah ha! I knew it!" Terrance exclaimed excitedly, then lowered his voice when he realized he was drawing attention to himself, "I've never seen a Veela before, I really want to meet her."

"I would also like to meet her…" Phoebe agreed quietly.

Hermione smiled at both of her friends' enthusiasm. "Alright," she acquiesced, "I suppose you can meet her during lunch break or something."

"Thanks Hermione." Terrance said earnestly, "Hey, if you want, you can meet our instructors too."

He looked at Phoebe as if to ask for her permission. She smiled at him in response. "T-That is, if she even wants to." she quietly noted, "I-I wouldn't after the description we gave…"

Hermione silently agreed with the auburn haired girl. A part banshee and a dragon man didn't exactly sound all that inviting. "I might have to take a rain check on that one." she finally replied.

Terrance sighed, a joking grin on his face. "Yeah, I don't blame you."

* * *

When Hermione walked into Fleur's office later that morning, she found that the blonde was not alone.

"I believe zat I 'ad made my opinion very clear on zat law, Monsieur Malik." she heard Fleur say, "Now, if you please, my intern shall be 'ere any minute."

She saw Mr. Malik straighten his shoulders. The man was extremely tall and stick thin like a skeleton.

"Very well, Miss Delacour. But do not expect that this is where it ends. The law will be placed into effect, I guarantee it."

"Au revoir, Monsieur Malik."

Hermione quickly closed the door and scurried back down the hall. When Mr. Malik passed by, she pretended that she had just been arriving. He still eyed her suspiciously though, as if he'd known she'd been there eavesdropping.

This time when Hermione had opened the door to Fleur's office, she found the blonde sitting at her desk, feverishly looking through paperwork. She muttered a few French words under her breath as she did so.

"What's wrong Fleur?" Hermione asked, taking a seat next to her.

Fleur looked pretty upset. "It is nothing, 'Ermione. I am sorry zat you must see me zis way."

Hermione quickly shook her head. "No Fleur, please don't apologize. You've seen me at my worst, remember?" Of course, she was referring to the time that Fleur had tirelessly cared for her at Shell Cottage after she had been tortured by Bellatrix. "We fought side by side in the war, so please, do not apologize to me for something that you cannot control."

Fleur smiled at her. "I am so lucky to 'ave you as my intern."

Hermione returned the smile and nodded. "Yes, you most certainly are." She straightened her posture to appear more businesslike, "Now, as your intern, I believe that you must tell me what is troubling you so that I may assist you with fixing it."

Fleur smirked. "I believe zat you are mistaking an intern for a therapist, Mademoiselle Granger."

"And I believe you are dodging the question, Miss Delacour." Hermione countered.

"Very well." Fleur relented, "Zere is currently a law being debated at ze Ministry. One zat will take away all magical rights of zose who are not completely 'uman."

Hermione gasped. "But wouldn't that affect you? And a lot of other Ministry employees?"

Fleur nodded sadly. "Oui, I am afraid so..."

"Well that's not right!" Hermione exclaimed in frustration, "You and all the others are no lesser than any full human here! You all fought to free the wizarding world just like everyone else, and now they want to take everything away from you? That's…that's just plain injustice!" Hermione realized at this point she was shouting, and lowered her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry Fleur, I didn't mean to yell."

The blonde shook her head, moving to place her hand over one of Hermione's. "Non. Zis is one of ze many reasons why I find you to be so amazing, 'Ermione. No matter what, you always do ze right zing."

Hermione was suddenly drawn into Fleur's eyes. They were deep, endlessly so, and Hermione felt like she was drowning. She couldn't breathe. Was Fleur this close before?

"And you always pour your 'eart and soul into it," Fleur almost whispered, "You are so passionate…"

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Why was Hermione feeling like this? The proximity to Fleur, and the words she was murmuring so huskily shouldn't be making her feel this way. No, she should still be able to breathe and her heart should not be pounding the way it was. Her eyes flicked down to Fleur's supple pink lips. They looked so soft, so kis-

_Briiiing, Briiiing!_

The office phone rang, causing them to separate quickly as if snapped out of a trance. And what a trance it was.

Hermione let out an overdue breath as Fleur stood to go answer the phone call. She still didn't quite understand what had just happened between them, and to be honest, she didn't really want to understand.

Hermione sighed. Hopefully things would start making sense soon.

* * *

_Ah, young love...so stirring!_ Lolz if you know who I just quoted. Anywho, I really appreciate any feedback that you want to send my way. Until next chapter... :)


	4. Chapter 4

AN: You all are so amazing for reviewing! I'd tip my hat to you if I were wearing one. Without further ado, here is the next installment. Enjoy~

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Chapter 4

"Oh! I have an idea!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, causing Fleur to look up from her paperwork. "Why don't we have everyone sign a petition? Against the legislation for taking away the magic of non-humans?"

Fleur smiled. "Nice try, mon amie. I'm afraid zat 'as already been done."

Hermione looked incredulous. "And it is still being put up for legislation? How many signatures did they receive?"

Fleur straightened the paperwork on her desk, and sighed. "Over 50,000 witches and wizards from all around ze world 'ave signed it. And still nothing…"

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose. "The corruption in our government is becoming more and more astounding to me." She sighed, and stared vacantly at the archives strewn across the desk Fleur had set up for her. "There just has to be a way to stop this…"

Fleur reached across to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Hermione felt her stress vanish, along with her heartbeat. She immediately scolded herself for reacting in such a manner. There was absolutely no reason for her to respond so drastically to Fleur's touch.

"Per'aps," Fleur spoke, interrupting her thoughts, "You could find something in ze _Book of Magical Law _zat would 'elp us. I 'ave tried, but I could not seem to find anything of use."

Hermione stood up, hope shining in her eyes. "That sounds like a promising idea. Do you have a copy that I could borrow?"

Fleur shook her head. "I do not. I 'ad borrowed ze book from one of my coworkers down ze 'all. Per'aps 'e would be willing to lend it to you as well."

Hermione nodded eagerly. "Alright then, where can I find him?"

"'E is all ze way at ze end of ze 'all, in a room zat appears to be abandoned. But 'Ermione," Fleur's expression looked serious, if not slightly worried, "Please be careful. If 'e gives you any trouble, tell him '_ze flower's thorns are as sharp as ze flower is beautiful'."_

Hermione raised an eyebrow. She wasn't entirely sure what the meaning behind that phrase was, but Fleur seemed entirely serious about it, so Hermione assumed it was a warning of some kind. The brunette smiled. "Alright Fleur, thank you. I'll be right back."

* * *

There was one door at the end of the hallway that appeared to be older than the rest of the building entirely. The wood of the door had decayed over the course of the years, and the metal hinges were coated in rust. It was actually quite creepy looking. Nevertheless, Hermione gathered her courage and knocked. "Um, excuse me? May I come in?"

There was no response, so Hermione took the initiative and opened the door . She peeked inside and was met with nothing but pitch black darkness. "Hello?" she called again, "Is anyone in there?"

Again, there was only silence in response. Hermione decided to try and look for a light switch. She was beginning to think that Fleur had played some kind of prank on her.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut and a puff of frigid air swept over her ears. She shivered.

"Well, well," a deep voice whispered in her ear, "A naïve young maiden has wandered so innocently into my lair."

Hermione jumped, knocking something over with her leg in the dark.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, you clumsy girl." The voice sounded slightly irritated, "Those are very old tomes."

Hermione righted herself and crossed her arms in defiance. "Well, I don't see how I would be able to watch where I'm going. It's pitch-black in here!"

The voice chuckled. "Perhaps to you, my dear. But I can see you perfectly." Hermione felt a cold hand brush back her hair as the other person continued speaking, "Yes, I believe the darkness suits you exquisitely. Your beauty is…delicious…"

Hermione was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. She felt similar to an antelope that was fleeing a tiger. She felt like prey.

"So tell me, little bird," the amused voice whispered against her ears once more, "For what reason do you fly into my gloomy cage?"

Hermione cleared her throat, trying to calm herself. "Fleur sent me. I need a certain book, and she said that you had copy, so I was wondering if I could borrow it?" Hermione knew she sounded nervous, but she hoped to Merlin that her current captor wouldn't notice. Too bad for her, he did.

"It's no use trying to hide your fear from me, my dear," the voice said with a chuckle, "I can smell it, seeping through your pores like sweet perfume."

It was then that Hermione realized who, or rather _what_ she was dealing with. The darkness, the dulcet voice, the visualization of her as food suddenly all made sense. This man was a vampire! Why would Fleur send her to a vampire? _That's it! Fleur told me to say something, a phrase…oh what was it…?_

"Yes, well," Hermione stalled, frantically thinking, "As I said before, Fleur sent me to borrow a book from you. But she also told me to tell you that '_the flower's thorns are as sharp as the flower is beautiful'_."

"Oh dear, well that's no fun at all." the voice pouted.

The phrase seemed to have its desired effect though, because suddenly the room was full of dim light. Tomes lay scattered everywhere (it was no wonder she tripped), beautiful paintings of different landscapes adorned the walls, and hundreds of cds were stacked neatly onto a bookshelf. A closet door stood closed off to the side. Everything else in the room appeared to be from another century entirely, except for an extremely modern stereo system that was tucked carefully into a corner of the room.

Hermione could now see what the vampire himself looked like.

He was tall, and immaculately dressed in a black suit with red embroidery at the sleeves. His skin was pale like freshly fallen snow, sporting a flawless complexion. He had shining silvery hair that was slicked back in a way that screamed aristocracy, and his eyes were a deep violet color that seemed to glow. All-in-all, he looked extremely otherworldly, but in a beautiful sort of way.

"Are you quite done gawking?" he asked pointedly, snapping her out of her daze.

Hermione flushed with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare, I've just never seen a vampire before."

"You are surprised, I assume." he commented casually, brushing something off of his shoulder, "It's as if all you humans expect me to look like the big bad wolf or something. Then again, I am only half vampire, I suppose. So perhaps that might have something to do with it."

Hermione didn't even know that half vampires existed. They hadn't taught this at Hogwarts. "Do you mind if I ask what the difference is?" she inquired, ever so curious.

This caused him to chuckle. "Well, my dear," in an instant he was behind her, "If I were a full fledged vampire," he was now whispering by her ear, "You would be dead by now."

Hermione shivered. She didn't really like where this conversation was going. But the half vampire just patted her shoulder and stepped away.

"But have no fear, my dear," he said with a gleaming smile, "For I am a pacifist, and never had any intention of sucking your blood," he scrunched up his nose, "Or whatever it is you thought I was going to do."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, unsure of the truth of his statement. "A vampire pacifist?"

He nodded. "Correct. Oh, but I do love to scare people out of their wits, is that odd? Oh well, I have always been a tad eccentric…But that stickler Fleur had to go and ruin my fun. She really can be quite the bully sometimes…"

Hermione silently thanked Fleur for protecting her. She also felt slightly guilty for having any sort of doubt in the blonde.

"So, I assume that you must be a very important human," he stated, picking up a tome off of a small table and nonchalantly reading a few pages, "Fleur doesn't normally threaten me, you know. She finds my twisted sense of humor amusing. So the real question is," he glanced up at her briefly, "Who are you to Fleur?"

Hermione was startled by his question. What did it mean? She and Fleur were friends, sure, and Fleur took care of her after Hermione had been tortured by Bellatrix, and now the brunette was her intern. But was that really it? The vampire's question indicated that Hermione meant something more to Fleur, and that was impossible. Right?

"Relax, silly girl," the vampire said with amusement, "I did not intend to throw your mind into a tempest. Now, what is your name?"

Hermione breathed in to steady herself, and noticed the room had an alluring floral scent. It was surprisingly calming. "My name is Hermione Granger," she said carefully, "And you are?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Hermione? Hmm…oh dear, I know I've heard that name somewhere before…perhaps from Fleur?" He shook his head, "Oh well, never mind then." he closed the book he had been holding. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you, Hermione." he said with a flourish, "I am Count Nacht von Blumen, but you may refer to me as Count Nacht."

Hermione nodded. "Count Nacht it is then." And then she remembered what she came here for. "Um, Count Nacht? I was sent here by Fleur to procure a book from you, the _Book of Magical Law_? I was told that you had a spare copy."

The count smiled, revealing perfectly white fangs. "Of course, my dear. I assume that you are trying to do something about this recent legislation? What a noble human you are, indeed."

He picked up a book off of a stack seemingly at random and handed it to her without even checking the cover. It was the correct book, however. "Best of luck." he said with a small smile.

"Thank you." Hermione said, already making her way to the door.

Suddenly it was opened for her. The count smiled down at her as he held the golden knob.

"No, my dear," he said with a flourish, "Thank _you_."

* * *

Back by Fleur's side in the safety of the blonde's office, Hermione poured over the book, searching its contents for anything that might help them. The book itself was in marvelous condition. _Count Nacht is crazy, but at least he keeps his books in good condition._ Hermione always considered that a good trait to have. Books were important, after all.

Fleur simply smiled as she watched the brunette become immersed in the tome, a sight she'd never get tired of seeing.

"I really hope we'll be able to find something…" Hermione mumbled as she read.

Fleur handed her a cup of tea. "If anyone is able to, it would be you, 'Ermione."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Fleur. I'll do whatever I can to help."

Things were finally starting to look up, it seemed. Maybe it was finally one of those days where everything changes for the better.

* * *

AN: I really hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think. Until next time~


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hello everyone! I'm glad to hear that a few of you enjoyed the Count! Here's another chapter to reward all of you awesome reviewers out there! Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter 5

"What?! They're going to take our magic away?" Terrance exclaimed in horror.

The three of them were preparing to eat lunch. Hermione told them about what Fleur had revealed to her earlier as she waited for the blonde to join them.

"Well, not everyone's," Hermione replied, "But the magic of everyone that doesn't have purely human blood."

Terrance nodded shakily, "Oh, uh, right…But, that's just…that's terrible! We have to stop this!"

Phoebe said nothing, but Hermione saw her tremble beneath her large turtleneck sweater.

"Don't worry you two," Hermione said with as much reassurance as she could muster, "Fleur and I will find a way."

Phoebe looked at her from behind her big thick glasses and smiled. Her large blue eyes were misty, as if she'd been about to cry. "You're a wonderful person, Hermione…" she said softly.

Hermione flushed at the flattery. "N-No, I'm just doing the right thing." she sighed, "Honestly, I haven't seen this much discrimination since the whole 'pure blood supremacy' ordeal that happened back when I was in school."

Her friends nodded sadly in response. They sat in silence for a few moments before a voice interrupted.

"Why does everyone look so sad? Did something 'appen?" Fleur asked as she approached them.

Terrance suddenly bolted up from the table and sprinted away. Phoebe just stared after him with shy amusement. Fleur looked slightly surprised.

"Well, zat is certainly ze first time a boy 'as run away from me without saying anything." she commented with a giggle. Then she turned to address Hermione with an amused smile. "At least your Ron 'ad ze gall to shout at me first."

Hermione burst out laughing at that, remembering how mortified Ron had been after he had shouted an invitation at Fleur to go with him to the Yule Ball. Ron…Hermione suddenly felt guilty that she hadn't even once thought about her boyfriend that day. She'd been very busy, though, and the rights of all non-humans took precedence over her relationship, right?

Phoebe looked from Hermione to Fleur then back to Hermione. A sudden realization seemed to dawn across her face which caused her to blush the color of her auburn hair. Fleur appeared to notice her just then and smiled.

"Bonjour Madamoiselle," she greeted warmly, "I take it zat you are also an intern on our floor?"

Phoebe nodded shyly. "Y-yes, my name is Phoebe Rose. I am a friend of Hermione's." she said in her usual almost whisper.

"I see. I am Fleur Delacour." Fleur looked at her curiously and then her eyes brightened with a sudden discovery. "If you wouldn't mind my asking, what made you decide to intern so far from 'ome?"

Phoebe's eyes darted quickly to Hermione, who appeared to be quite confused by the exchange. "W-Well," she said quietly while adjusting her glasses, "I-I suppose I wanted to see the world…"

Fleur thought about her answer for a moment and nodded. "Ze world is quite magnificent, non? Now, who was zat boy just now? Was 'e also an intern?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, that was Terrance Camellia. He's a nice guy, but he just gets so flustered sometimes…"

Fleur smirked. "I could certainly tell zat much."

Just then, a small origami bat fluttered into Fleur's hands. The blonde sighed before unfolding it and reading its contents. She mumbled something in French under her breath.

"I must apologize," She told Hermione sincerely, "A mandatory meeting 'as been called zat I must attend, so I cannot stay for lunch."

Hermione felt her heart sink in disappointment. "I understand, Fleur." she replied while trying to smile reassuringly.

"Per'aps I could make it up to you by taking you to dinner tomorrow?" Fleur asked with a hopeful tone.

Dinner with Fleur? For some reason Hermione couldn't stop imagining it to be anything but romantic in nature, almost like she was asking her out on a dat-

"Sounds lovely." she answered quickly in order to silence her strange thoughts, "What time would you like to go?"

Fleur's smile lit up like a child's in a candy shop, revealing her perfectly white teeth. "We can leave after work, if you'd like."

Hermione nodded, genuinely enthusiastic. "Alright then."

"I shall look forward to it, ma cherie." Fleur said happily.

The blonde bid them both goodbye and left to attend her meeting. Phoebe, who had been mostly silent through the exchange, turned to look at Hermione shyly.

"S-So, how long have you two been together?" she asked innocently.

Hermione felt her face get hot and her stomach tie itself in knots at the implication. "Y-You mean? O-oh, uh, no. We aren't…we aren't…I have a boy friend, and…we aren't a couple. Fleur and I, that is." By the end of her ramble, Hermione was sure that she was blushing fiercely.

Phoebe looked slightly confused, and then a little saddened. "O-Oh…I-I'm sorry for assuming such a thing…"

Hermione felt bad for making her shy little friend look so forlorn. "Might I ask why you thought that?" she questioned, trying to remove the sadness from her friend's expression.

Phoebe adjusted her glasses nervously. "W-Well Fleur's thrall was a-acting strangely, a-and that usually only happens when…when Veelas…um…are b-bonded with someone…" she mumbled, her cheeks growing redder by the minute.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Bonded?" she inquired curiously.

Phoebe suddenly jumped up from the table, her face the color of a cherry. "S-So s-sorry, I-I have to go." she mumbled frantically, gathering her things.

She left before Hermione could say another word. _Did I ask something odd?_ she wondered. And what was this "bond" nonsense all about? She wasn't sure what it all meant, nor did she notice anything unusual about Fleur. Of course, girls weren't supposed to be affected by a Veela's thrall, and Phoebe didn't seem any different than her usual nervous self, but she could see Fleur's thrall? Perhaps Hermione was the only one who couldn't see it…but, then again, she couldn't recall a time where any of the other girls she'd known had commented on it…

Terrance returned moments later, stopping Hermione from pondering this any further.

"Hey," he greeted, taking a seat, "Where's Phoebe?"

Hermione sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "She ran off, same as you."

Terrance looked sheepish. "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess that Veelas just aren't for me."

Hermione chuckled. "I suppose not."

Terrance grinned after that. "But she was very pretty, I must admit." Then he puffed out his chest proudly, "But she doesn't compete with my Phoebe's innocent charm!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "_Your_ Phoebe?"

Terrance blushed darkly. "W-Well, not 'my' Phoebe, but, uh, you know what I mean. She's just…I mean, I…" he shook his head and stood up, "I'm going to go look for her."

With that, he darted off in a random direction again, leaving Hermione to eat lunch by herself. She didn't mind too much, her mind drifting back to Fleur's dinner invitation. _I wonder what it will be like…_

* * *

After lunch, Hermione spent most of her time studying the _Book of Magical Law_ to try and find something that would help to combat the impending legislation. Fleur had yet to arrive back from her meeting.

"I just hope everything's alright…" Hermione thought aloud.

The door suddenly opened, revealing a grumpy looking Fleur. She saw Hermione and took a moment to calm herself before greeting the brunette. "'Ello, mon amie. I 'ave missed you." she said with a genuine smile.

Hermione stared down at her paperwork in order to hide her blush. Why did she always have to act like a silly school girl around the blonde? "Hello Fleur. I missed you too." she mused with a laugh, "Even though we saw each other nearly forty minutes ago."

Fleur gracefully sat in her seat and sighed. "Zat is true, mon amie. 'Owever, forty minutes of listening to complaints seems like an eternity. Ah, but I 'ave my lovely office and beautiful intern to return to, zis makes it all worth it, non?"

Hermione felt her blush darken when she realized that Fleur had just called her beautiful. _She's the beautiful one_, she thought to herself.

"Listening to complaints? What was the meeting about?" Hermione asked, having a sinking feeling that it had something to do with the soon to be law.

Fleur frowned and rubbed her temples. "It was about ze law, of course. Proposition P will be voted into effect in just four months from now. Zat seems like a long time, but a law usually takes more zan two years to be put to vote." she folded her hands in front of her on the desk and stared at them with a gloomy look, "A coworker in ze Spirit Division resigned today, 'e is going to leave ze country while 'e still 'as 'is magic. Per'aps I…" The blonde stopped when a hand took both of hers.

"Fleur." Hermione spoke quietly, sincerely, "I promise I won't let anything happen to you, or anyone else." she gave the blonde's hands a gentle squeeze, "Please, don't leave. I will protect you, I promise."

Hermione knew that she was saying things that might have crossed over the friendship line, but the thought of losing Fleur was unthinkable. She couldn't imagine what it would be like without her…

"'Ermione." Fleur whispered softly, her thumb rubbing soft circles on the brunette's knuckles, "I would never leave without you."

Just as Hermione was about to sputter out a flustered response, a knock sounded on the door. "Uh, are you in there Hermione?" the muffled voice of Terrance spoke from the other side.

Hermione silently thanked the dark haired boy for stopping her from making a bumbling fool of herself. "Yes Terrance, we both are. You may open the door, you know." the brunette responded.

"Oh, uh…no thanks, I'm good out here." he said quickly, "I was just wondering…well, my instructor kind of just quit…so…I'm not exactly sure what to do from here…"

Hermione looked at Fleur for an answer. "Un moment." the blonde replied smoothly, standing up and scrawling a quick message onto a piece of paper. She handed the paper to Hermione. "Tell 'im 'e is being reassigned to ze Being Division," Fleur instructed, "'Is new assignment is all ze way at ze end of ze hall, in a room zat appears to be abandoned."

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, and then she giggled. "You don't mean…?"

Fleur smirked. "My friend could use some company. And 'e owes me a favor."

Hermione opened the door and gave Terrance the note along with the instructions, all while trying to hold in a chuckle. When the door was finally closed, the brunette burst out laughing. "Oh poor Terrance is going to be traumatized," she breathed in between giggles, "Why did you do that Fleur?"

Fleur grinned conspiratorially. "I 'ave no idea what you are talking about, mon amie. All I did was reassign 'im."

Hermione couldn't help but chortle at the thought of Terrance's reaction to his new instructor. _He is about to have one of those days, _Hermione thought jovially, _It's about time someone else had one for a change._

* * *

Lol Poor Terrance...So? Love it? Hate it? Let me know in a review! Until next time~


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Hi everyone! Okay, okay, I'm really sorry for making you guys wait so long for an update. I hate it, as a reader, when other authors leave you hanging like that. So, here's a slightly longer than normal chapter! Also, I promise to have the next chapter up before the end of the week. Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter 6

Hermione awoke the next morning feeling both nervous and excited. She was happy to be spending time with Fleur outside the office, but at the same time she felt apprehension as to how it would go. Should she act formal? Fleur was her boss, after all. Or should she act casual? They had been through a war together…

_What will we talk about? _She fretted as she fixed her hair for the day. _Oh, I really hope I don't mess this up!_

Hermione paused to check herself in the mirror. She realized she was being stupid about this whole thing, treating it like it was some kind of romantic date. Which it most certainly wasn't, right? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Right now I need to focus on work." she reminded herself aloud, "People are depending on me to do my job."

* * *

When she arrived at the ministry, she ran into Terrance, who was staring at the closed doors of an elevator. As she looked closer, she realized that he was paler than a Hogwarts ghost.

"Are you alright, Terrance?" she asked with concern.

He jumped as if snapped out of a trance. "Actually…" he said, his eyes showing great apprehension, "I'm a little afraid of my new boss…"

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "So that's all it was…" she commented, allowing herself to relax.

Terrance scrunched up his face in a worried expression. "I'm serious Hermione!" he said frantically, "He said that if I made a single mistake, he was going to feast on my blood! He's a vampire!"

Hermione could've played along to prolong the comedy of the situation, but she decided that doing that to poor Terrance would've been just plain cruel. So she decided to comfort him instead.

"It's alright, Terrance." she said, trying to calm him, "Count Nacht is actually a pacifist."

He just looked at her as if she'd grown a third eye. Then he looked extremely skeptical. "Oh sure, Hermione!" he replied sarcastically, "And Phoebe is the Little Mermaid!"

Hermione shook her head. It didn't appear as if her words were going to be getting through to him, so she decided to drop it. "Well, maybe today will be better." she said cheerfully, and then a random thought came to her mind, "Terrance? How do you know about the Little Mermaid? Do you have a muggle parent?"

Terrance shook his head. "No, well not exactly…I was adopted by a pair of wizards. They really liked muggle things, like fairy tales. So when I was little, my dads would always read them to me and my little sister." he stared at his shoes and blushed, "The Little Mermaid was always my favorite."

Hermione smiled. He really was adorable at times, just like the little brother she never had.

"You said a 'pair of wizards' raised you?" Hermione asked suddenly. She hadn't really heard of homosexuality in the magical world outside of Dumbledore's case.

Terrance looked up and nodded. "Yes. They're a gay couple. But they have been the best parents I ever could've asked for, and I love them both very much."

Hermione nodded. "I think that's wonderful, Terrance. What about your biological parents?"

The dark haired boy looked at something far away. "I was 5, too young to really know them when they died. Voldemort killed them." he said quietly, "I took my little sister and hid in the closet. She was a year younger than me, so I doubt that she remembers anything though." he smiled sadly, "Even _my_ memory of it is a little fuzzy at times."

Hermione placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Well, Voldemort's dead now, and you have two loving fathers," she said with a smile, "That's something to be happy about, isn't it?"

Terrance smiled brightly. "You bet it is! Now all I need is a cute girlfriend!"

Hermione laughed. "Why don't you tell Phoebe that?"

His face turned nine different shades of red, and he began to wave his arms around wildly. "B-Because…I don't know! S-She's just…I-I don't think she would…"

"U-Um, hello you two." came a quiet voice.

Terrance turned around and nearly had a heart attack. "Phoebe!" he squeaked in surprise, "Uh! Good evening! No! I mean, uh, good morning! Um…right." he blushed, "I'm an idiot. So I'll just be going now."

A small smile appeared on Phoebe's lips. "I'll see you at lunchtime, then." she said quietly.

The boy nodded, a fierce blush on his face, before sprinting off down the hallway.

"So Phoebe," Hermione began, "How much did you hear?"

Phoebe shook her head. "I-I had only just arrived, so…not much of anything, really." Then she looked slightly worried, "W-Was it something important?"

Hermione waved a hand dismissively. "Oh no, nothing like that. Just a harmless conversation about his new instructor, among other things."

Phoebe looked relieved. "H-He said that his new instructor is a vampire. I-Is that true?"

Hermione sighed. "Yes, Count Nacht is a half-vampire."

Phoebe shivered, bringing her thin arms up to hug her shoulders. "T-That sounds kind of scary…"

"He really isn't, I promise," Hermione said reassuringly, "He's very…eccentric. But he isn't dangerous."

Phoebe seemed to think about this for a moment before speaking again. "M-Maybe I should meet him, then."

Hermione smiled at the girl's curiosity. "Yes, and then maybe you could convince Terrance not to be so afraid of him."

Phoebe smiled, a light blush on her cheeks. A silence followed as the meek girl observed Hermione's attire.

"Y-You look very nice today, Hermione," she commented quietly, "I-Is it because of your dinner with Fleur?"

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush. She didn't really want to admit that she may have put a little extra effort into her appearance today. And she _really _didn't want to admit that it was all because of a certain dinner arrangement with a certain blonde. Really, was she dressed all that differently than normal? Typically, she would be wearing a dark business suit of some kind. One that was both classy and professional, with a neatly arranged dress skirt, freshly pressed matching jacket, and a pretty white blouse.

Today, however, Hermione had decided to go with something a little more…appealing. She wore an elegant black dress that held her figure in all the right places. This was accompanied by a luminous string of pearls around her neck, a thin silver bracelet, and a pair of stylish black heels. Not a single hair was out of place, and Hermione looked like the pinnacle of sexy sophistication.

Of course, she would rather eat an entire Weasley Wizard Wheezes Skiving Snack Box all at once than admit that her appearance had anything to do with impressing Fleur.

Hermione tucked a non-existent hair behind her ear. "Oh? I had nearly forgotten all about that," she quickly lied, "Thank you for reminding me, Phoebe. I wouldn't want to disappoint Fleur by not showing up, that would certainly be rude, now wouldn't it?"

Phoebe picked at a thread on her over sized sweater nervously. "I-I suppose it would…"

Hermione smiled. "Well, thanks to you I won't be having that problem, now will I?" she smoothed down an invisible crease on the side of her dress, "Anyway, it is purely coincidental that I am dressed differently today, as opposed to any other day."

Phoebe nodded slowly. "A-Alright then, if you say so, Hermione." she looked at a tiny watch on her wrist, squinting to see the time behind her thick glasses, "W-Well, I must be going now. I will see you at lunchtime, hopefully."

The meek auburn haired girl began to scurry away down the hall, her loose hair bun bobbing behind her.

"Oh, and Hermione?" The small girl had halted and turned back around. Her large blue eyes held a glimmer of mischief within them as she spoke. "You're a terrible liar."

And with that, the little girl scurried off, leaving Hermione to stand and gape at her retreating form. _Perhaps today is just going to be one of those days._

* * *

Upon entering the office, Hermione was met with a sight to behold. Fleur was caught in the center of a whirlwind of flying papers, all of which were folded into the shapes of little bats. If Hermione remembered correctly, it was an origami bat that had delivered the summons for yesterday's meeting during lunch.

"Are you alright Fleur?" Hermione called above the fluttering paper wings.

The blonde simply drew her wand and gave it a quick wave, resulting in all the paper bats falling to the floor in a big heap.

"Oui." Fleur replied after a moment, slightly breathless.

Hermione took in the blonde's appearance; slightly flushed cheeks, perfectly tousled silvery blonde hair…she was absolutely beautiful.

Hermione shook her head quickly. These were certainly not thoughts that she should be having about her friend, let alone her instructor. She quickly tried to think of something else, anything. She bent down to pick up one of the paper bats.

"Where did all of these come from?" she asked curiously.

Fleur fixed her hair. "Probably from zat crazy man down ze 'all. 'E gets a kick out of startling people, I'm sure you know zis already." she sighed, "One minute I was organizing some case files, ze next I was being mobbed by zese stupid little papers of 'is." she waved her hand for emphasis, which Hermione found quite amusing.

"Do you want me to go see if he needs something?" the brunette offered, placing the paper bat into the trash bin.

Fleur thought about it for a moment, her eyes subtly looking Hermione over. She halted whatever response she had been about to say and approached the brunette slowly.

"You look even more beautiful zan usual, 'Ermione." She stated, staring deeply into her caramel colored eyes.

Hermione felt her entire body blush. Was Fleur flirting with her? No, no, that was utterly impossible. It was probably a simple observation, she surmised, calming herself. She needed to say something in response, though, or else things were going to get awkward.

"Well, you always look beautiful, Fleur." She replied, instantly regretting the way her words came out.

She hadn't meant to sound so…forward. Fleur must think that she is some sort of flirtatious scarlet woman. A soft hand on her shoulder interrupted her inner tirade.

Deep blue eyes captured her senses. "As do you, ma cherie." Her soft voice murmured, "Always."

The air suddenly felt heavier, thicker, warmer; as if Hermione had to struggle to keep oxygen passing through her lungs. Her heart beat faster, sending heat throughout her entire body. She was burning, feverish.

All of it was so overwhelming...and then the sensation was gone.

Fleur had moved away to clean up the rest of the bats, leaving the air thin and cold. A silence was beginning to grow between them.

Hermione cleared her throat, willing herself to say something. "Why don't I go see what he wants?"

"Who?" Fleur asked absently. Was that a blush on her cheeks?

"Count Nacht." Hermione supplied.

"Ah, oui." She replied, "Merci, 'Ermione."

* * *

Hermione wandered down the hallway to the old rusty door, all while trying to keep her mind off of whatever had just occurred between her and Fleur. And it wasn't just that instance either, there had been several occasions in which she felt herself…slip, in the blonde's presence…

Count Nacht's room wasn't dark this time, a dim light enveloping the Victorian furniture and the tomes that lay scattered everywhere.

Terrance sat on a red velvet sofa, nervously sorting through papers. He almost reminded Hermione of Phoebe with how shaky his movements were.

"Ah yes, and after you've finished with that, my underling," a smooth voice came from across the room, "I want you to sort the next pile over there on your right. I want them arranged by date and time, right down to the second, understand?"

Terrance looked at the tower of file folders and grimaced. "Down to the second? Is that even possible?" he whined.

Count Nacht strode over to his new assistant and stared down at him with gleaming violet eyes. His fangs glinted as he smiled menacingly. "Is that what you believe?" he mused with a dark chuckle, "It would only take me 5 minutes, if only I weren't so…_thirsty_." He gazed at Terrance's neck with an obviously exaggerated hunger. The poor dark haired boy nearly jumped out of his seat.

"L-Leave it to me! I'll do it, no complaints!" Terrance quickly scooped up half the pile, frantically trying to rearrange it while not spilling the files all over the floor, "No problem at all, see?" he squeaked.

Hermione would've laughed at the scene, if she didn't feel so bad for Terrance.

Count Nacht gracefully smoothed back his silver hair, his eyes suddenly flickering to Hermione. His face brightened.

"Ah, little bird," he bowed with a flourish, "Welcome to my cage once more. I was hoping Fleur would send you."

Hermione quirked a skeptical eyebrow, "Growing fond of me? Or perhaps you are just afraid of Fleur?"

The Count chuckled while Terrance looked terrified at Hermione's words. "Both of your assumptions are true. I happen to appreciate your wit, and find Fleur to be a nightmare when irritated." he remarked casually.

Hermione sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Then why did you send her all of those flying papers? Surely you knew that would upset her?"

The half vampire pouted, picking up a file and pretending to check its contents. "She was ignoring me." came his childish answer, "She wouldn't listen to my complaints regarding this…" he waved his hand at Terrance, "Thing she dropped into my care."

Terrance looked slightly offended. "I'm right here, you know" he stated grumpily.

Count Nacht raised a challenging eyebrow. "Yes, and you should be working."

Terrance went back to filing, but not without grumbling something first.

"So let me see if I have this correct," Hermione stated, "You sent Fleur nearly one hundred paper bats-"

"One hundred and twenty three." the half vampire corrected.

"-All because she wouldn't listen to you complain?" Hermione huffed, "How old are you, five?"

Count Nacht smiled. "Five hundred, actually. You really must work on your estimation skills, my dear."

Hermione knew that she should be more angry than she already was, but for some reason she found herself thrown off by his aloofness. It was almost as if he was toying with her. _He probably is. _She decided to get to the point.

"So, why did you call me here?" she asked, "Surely you don't wish to complain to me? Terrance happens to be a friend of mine, and I won't tolerate him being belittled, understand?"

This seemed to get through to the Count, because he became serious. "Oh, very well then," he grumbled, "No more undermining the underling, Are you pleased? I suppose next you'll ask me to eat garlic?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, that will be all, thank you."

The Count nodded. "Good. Now, my reason for summoning you has to do with my book that is in your possession."

He suddenly leaned in close by her ear. "You see, the walls tend to whisper things to me…" he murmured quietly, "And lately they have been speaking such dangerous secrets, indeed." he pulled away when he noticed that Terrance had stopped working and was watching them closely.

The Count smiled at Hermione, but there was something cautionary behind it. "Hermione, I have found Section 42 paragraph 24 to be especially interesting," he commented casually, "Have you read it?"

Hermione tried to think back to the text that she had read, but came up with nothing specific. "No, I'm afraid I haven't read it."

Count Nacht's violet eyes gleamed. "You should."

Hermione nodded slowly.

"That is all, little bird," The Count said, with a fluid wave of his hand, "You may fly freely until I call for you again."

Hermione opened the door to leave and turned around with a stern look set upon her features. "Next time don't drown us in paper, or else I really will be angry."

"No promises, my dear." Came the cheery reply.

* * *

AN: Well? What did you think? I know that some of you are disappointed that I am leaving Hermione and Fleur's "dinner date" to next chapter, but I really wanted to focus on it by itself. Does that make sense? No? Oh, sorry...Anywho! Until Next chapter, may the wait not be so long for you this time! :)


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Okay! I barely made my deadline with this one but, as promised, I'm posting it before a week has passed. Love me now? No? Well, without further ado, here's Fleur and Hermione's dinner together! Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter 7

_Well, this is it,_ Hermione thought to herself,_ I hope I don't embarrass myself completely._

It was the end of the day, and Fleur had asked to meet in front of the entrance after work was finished.

Hermione paused ten feet from the entry way. _Oh god, I don't know if I can do this! I mean, how much do I even know about the woman anyway? Just that she's Bill' ex (but they're still friends?), and that she's French, a past Triwizard champion, and she helped fight in the war as an Order Member. That doesn't really tell me a whole lot…what if she hates books?! Oh Merlin, I really don't think I can do this!_

"So…are you going to open the door, or are you just going to stand there?" a voice joked from behind, causing Hermione to jump.

"Terrance! Merlin, you startled me!" Hermione replied with a huff.

The dark haired boy eyed her skeptically. "Why are you so jumpy? Your emotions are a mess, Hermione."

"She's going to dinner with Fleur." Phoebe interjected quietly as she walked up to them.

Terrance's grin looked like someone had just offered him all the money in Gringotts. "Oh? Really? As in…a date, perhaps?"

Hermione felt her face get hot. "It is most certainly NOT a date, Terrance!"

Phoebe giggled at her outburst, while Terrance didn't let up in his taunt.

"Oh, you can't fool me Hermione!" he sing-songed, "Fleur and Hermione sittin' in a tree-"

"Quit being so juvenile!" Hermione scolded, "It is just a simple outing, between _friends._"

Phoebe took pity on Hermione and spoke before Terrance could respond. "Then don't let us stall you, Hermione. Enjoy your evening."

She had spoken that last bit so sincerely and without a hint of jest, that Hermione couldn't even make a retort.

_Well, _she thought, turning back to face the entryway, _This is it._

* * *

Fleur had been waiting patiently outside, her long coat wrapped snugly around her form. It grew chilly at night, which is why Hermione had shrugged on her coat as well. They would both take them off when they arrived at the restaurant.

A beautiful smile spread across Fleur's face when she saw her approach.

"Is it strange of me to say zat I 'ave been looking forward to zis all day?" she asked cheerfully.

Hermione felt herself blush at Fleur's boldness. "N-No…" the brunette stuttered, and after an embarrassed pause she spoke again, "I-I was actually kind of excited about this too, b-but more in a nervous way, I suppose."

Fleur's expression softened. "Please, do not be nervous, ma cherie. I wish only for you to relax and enjoy yourself." she stated softly

Hermione felt touched at Fleur's tenderness. This side of Fleur was…beautiful too, just like everything else about her.

Hermione tore herself away from that train of thought, as it could only lead to trouble.

"So, 'Ermione, do you 'ave any particular cuisine in mind for tonight?" Fleur asked.

Hermione thought about this for a moment. She wanted to pick a place that they would both enjoy…Fleur's French, so she would like French food right? But she probably ate French food all the time…Italian food? Everyone likes Italian food, right?

"Perhaps we could go someplace that has Italian food?" Hermione asked.

Fleur smiled. "Wonderful choice, ma cherie, as I 'appen to know a place zat serves ze best pasta in all of England."

Hermione smiled. "In all of England?" she mused playfully, "I must test this hypothesis."

* * *

The Muggle restaurant was cozy with a touch of romantic flare. The waiter led them to a table by a window that looked out over a small lake. The setting sun shimmered on the waters, dying them in hues of molten gold.

"I have to say that I love the choice in venue." Hermione commented with a smile.

Fleur returned it. "I am 'appy to 'ear you say zat. It is quite romantic, non?"

Hermione blushed and picked up her menu to hide her reddening cheeks. "Yes, very much so." she mumbled.

After they ordered, they sat in silence for a moment, staring out at the lake.

"So, 'Ermione, tell me about yourself," Fleur spoke gently, "I wish to know more about you."

Hermione took a sip of water to steady herself. "Well, there isn't really anything to tell you that you wouldn't already know. I'm a Muggle-Born, I love books, and I dislike injustice."

Fleur smiled. "You are so much more zan you give yourself credit for, 'Ermione, I'm sure of it," she said tenderly, then paused for a moment, "May I ask what kinds you like?" she asked.

"What?"

"Of books, I mean." Fleur clarified.

Hermione paused and thought about it. No one had ever really asked her that before, and Fleur seemed genuinely interested in her answer.

"Well, I suppose I enjoy all of them," Hermione replied, "_Hogwarts: A History_ was one of my favorite magical texts, because it was the first Non-Muggle book I had ever read. I remember being mystified by all of the previously unknown possibilities that were laid before my eyes. It was like stepping into a storybook and- Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ramble…"

Fleur waved away the apology. "Non, I find your point of view fascinating," she stated earnestly, "Being born into ze magical world, I was not able to experience ze zing zat you did. Zey say zat '_ze real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes'_, a romantic idea, non?"

Hermione felt her heart swell with Fleur's words. "That quote came from Marcel Proust, right? I didn't know you were into Muggle literature."

Fleur winked at her. "Perhaps you should not judge a book by ze cover, ma cherie. I grew up fascinated by ze world of Muggles, ze stories, ze innovation. All of it was very impressive."

Hermione smiled. Most wizards looked down on Muggles, or found them to be odd, or alien. Fleur was the opposite. She was praising them, appreciating them.

"So," Hermione said, "What other kinds of literature do you like?"

Fleur seemed to think about this for a moment, before taking Hermione's hand in her own. The brunette's heart stopped.

"Hmmm," Fleur murmured, caressing the knuckles lightly, "_Hear my soul speak. Of ze very instant I saw you, Did my 'eart fly at your service._"

The words washed over Hermione, seeming to envelope her chest. She was slipping, she was drowning, and there was nothing she could do because she didn't want it to stop. She placed her hand over Fleur's, feeling the soft skin beneath her fingertips.

"_Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,_" she heard herself respond huskily, "_And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind._"

The air was heavy again, and they stopped speaking. Hermione could've sworn she had stopped breathing too, or maybe she was breathing too much? She couldn't even tell anymore. All her senses were drowned out by the pounding of her heart.

Fleur started to lean closer. _Yes,_ Hermione thought hazily as she leaned in too, _Closer…I must…_

"Who ordered the angel hair special?" a cheerful voice shattered the trance, and Hermione jumped backward.

She cleared her throat. "Um, I did."

The oblivious waiter nodded and placed the food on the table. "Enjoy!" he said happily before exiting.

Hermione chanced a look up at Fleur, and their eyes locked once more. There were so many emotions swirling through those deep blue irises…

Fleur broke the connection and looked away.

"'Ow is it?" she asked politely.

"What?"

"Ze food, I mean." Fleur clarified.

Hermione tasted it and was pleasantly surprised by the burst of flavor it had. "Wow, this sauce is amazing!" she exclaimed, "I guess you were right about this being the best pasta in England."

Fleur chuckled, "Oui. I knew zat you would like it."

Then a silence settled over them as they ate. Hermione paused. "So, Shakespeare, huh?"

Fleur raised an eyebrow in question.

"Your quote was from Shakespeare." Hermione stated.

A slow smile spread across Fleur's face. "Oui, as was yours, ma cherie."

Hermione blushed, a goofy smile rising to her lips in spite of herself. "I-I suppose it was, wasn't it?"

* * *

The two had talked animatedly after that, conversing about anything and everything. They had laughed about Hermione admitting her troubles in flying and chess. They had mused over ways to get Terrance and Phoebe together. Even a question or two about the Count had come up, to which Fleur answered "I 'ave no idea, zat man is crazy."

All in all, Hermione was having the most fun she'd had in a long time. She had no idea that Fleur could be so clever, witty, and…well, charming.

But then, like all good things, it had to come to an end.

Fleur was walking her to her door, regaling her of a rather funny incident from her days at Gringotts.

"And zen Griphook said," Fleur scrunched up her face for her best goblin impression, "_'Time is money, so don't waste mine!',_ 'E was 'aving one of zose days, you know. But ze man said '_Well, if time is money, then why do you have so little to spare?_'" Fleur started laughing, "You should have seen ze goblin's face, 'Ermione. 'E greatly resembled your pet cat. Griphook didn't say a word to anyone for weeks after zat, I zink 'e was traumatized."

By the end of Fleur's story, they were both laughing at the idea of a goblin becoming traumatized by philosophy.

Before they knew it, they were both standing on Hermione's doorstep. The brunette felt her heart sink at the idea of Fleur leaving. "Perhaps you would like to come in for some coffee?" she asked.

Fleur seemed to be having an internal battle with herself. She almost looked pained. "I…I should not." she said with a hint of longing, "We both 'ave work in ze morning and you need your rest. Good night, Hermione."

Those last words sat like stones in Hermione's chest. "Oh, alright then. Good night, Fleur."

A moment had passed and neither of them had moved an inch. _Now would be the time for a goodnight kiss, wouldn't it?_ Hermione thought, _I wonder if she is going to kiss me… wait! What am I saying?! I have a boyfriend and, and I shouldn't even be wanting her to kiss me!_

Still, Hermione could not bring herself to pull away when Fleur took a step closer to her. The brunette felt her heart rate pick up again and her eyes flutter closed in surrender. She felt a soft hand take her own. _Forgive me, Ron…_

And suddenly, soft lips brushed over her open palm. Her eyes fluttered open and met with blazing blue ones.

"Bonsoir, 'Ermione." Fleur whispered tenderly against her palm.

The blonde pulled away slowly, releasing Hermione's hand with the same amount of languor. And then she was gone, disapparated.

Hermione just stared longingly at the empty space, feeling slightly empty.

She brought her palm up to her lips and softly kissed it. "Goodnight…Fleur." she whispered.

* * *

AN: I am so cruel, aren't I? Oh, but fear not, for they will be together soon. This was necessary to awaken Hermione to her feelings for Fleur. Let me know what you think! Until next chapter~ :)


	8. Chapter 8

AN: What's this? Another update that's on time? Why, I think I've gone mad! Just kidding. The real reason is that I loved your reviews soo much, that I just _had _to write more! Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter 8

The next day, business continued as usual. Or at least it did until Hermione met with Terrance and Phoebe for lunch.

"Sooo, how'd it go?" Terrance drawled, taking a bite of his salad.

Phoebe looked curious as well.

"It went fine." Hermione said dismissively, trying to fight off a blush.

Terrance pouted, jabbing the salad a couple times with a fork. "Aww, c'mon we want details Hermione!"

Phoebe smiled. "What did you two talk about?" she asked quietly.

Hermione thought back to the wonderful conversations they'd had the night before. "Well, I found out that she enjoys Muggle literature." she stated, again trying to fight off a blush.

"Ah ha! I knew it!" Terrance exclaimed, "You are _so_ into her!"

Hermione scowled. "Why won't you just drop this nonsense? Besides, it really isn't any of your business who I fancy, now is it?"

Terrance pouted. "Why can't you just admit it? You _like_ Fleur."

"Well I'll admit it as soon as you admit your huge crush on Phoebe!" she quipped back. And suddenly she wished that she hadn't.

Terrance's face paled as a look of frightened shock came over him.

Phoebe looked surprised as well, her eyes falling to stare at her hands resting in her lap. "I-Is…is that true, Terrance?" she whispered shakily.

Hermione felt awful for outing the boy's secret, but for some reason her voice refused to show itself and apologize. She could only watch the chips fall where they may.

Terrance released a pained sigh and nodded. "Yeah…it's true. I really like you, Phoebe…" he slowly stood up from the table, "But, you probably don't like me like that, and…and that's okay, because I just want you to be happy…" a sad smile spread across his lips, "I love it when you smile, you know…It makes me feel like the greatest man alive when I can make you smile…" he turned away, "Sorry to bother you with this. I hope that we can act like this never happened and stay friends." He started to leave when a small, but determined voice stopped him.

"I can't." Phoebe said softly, a light blush on her cheeks, "I can't be your friend anymore, Terrance, not after everything you have said to me."

His shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. "Oh…right, sorry. Then I'll just-"

"I want to…" Phoebe's face was a darker red than her hair as she looked up, "I-I want to be your girlfriend!"

Now it was Terrance's turn to blush nine different shades of red. Hermione couldn't help the smile that rose to her lips. "Well, I guess it's settled then, hmm?" she said happily, looking between the two, "Are you going to ask her out to have coffee now, Terrance?"

Terrance was a bumbling mess. "G-Girlfriend?! R-Really?! But, I, but you said! And then…girlfriend, m-me?"

Hermione laughed. "I think Phoebe is the girlfriend, Terrance, not you."

Terrance sputtered. "I-I know that! I'm just…I don't even know how to describe it."

Phoebe smiled. "I understand the feeling." then after a moment she stared shyly at the table, "W-Would you perhaps, want to have coffee together? A-As a…a couple?" she asked.

Terrance grinned. "I'd love to."

Hermione had about all the mushiness she could take for one day and stood up from the table. "Alright, lovebirds, I'm going to get back to work now," she stated, "Oh, and congratulations to the both of you."

When she had last looked back, she saw both of them just sitting there, casting furtive and blushing glances at each other. _They really are cute together,_ she mused to herself, _Perhaps it's one of those days where a simple push is all you need._

* * *

She walked back into the office to find Fleur busily working away at her desk. The blonde looked up and smiled at her. "You look 'appy, ma cherie. Did something good 'appen?"

Hermione sat down at her own desk and got out her paperwork. "Actually, I was somehow able to get my two friends to admit their feelings for each other."

Fleur's smile brightened. "Ah, ze quiet girl and ze shy boy?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, they are a couple now."

Fleur sighed longingly. "Love is in ze air, it seems."

Hermione tried to calm down her racing heart after hearing Fleur sigh like that. The way her breath seemed to caress achingly over those soft, pink lips…she could still feel the ghost of their presence upon her palm.

Hermione quickly placed her hand in her jacket pocket, trying not to blush. "Y-Yes, I do suppose it is, isn't it." she commented shakily.

_Perhaps too much of it…_

"Speaking of which," Fleur's tone had dimmed slightly. So slightly, in fact, that no one would've noticed, save Hermione. "'Ow are you and monsieur Weasley?"

_Ron? I had completely forgotten about him…_

"We're fine." Hermione answered automatically. Truth was, she wasn't sure.

Things had been on the decline for a while, but she had just assumed it was because they didn't see each other often. Then she became close to Fleur and, wait, what did that have to do with anything? _Oh, who am I kidding? Terrance was right, I mean, a few seconds ago I was just thinking about her lips for Merlin's sake!_ _But then…where does that leave me now?_

Her inner ramblings were interrupted when she noticed that Fleur had gotten up from her desk, had walked over, and was now kneeling gracefully before her. The blonde took her hand and caressed it affectionately, just like she had at the restaurant last night.

"I wish I could know what troubles zat brilliant mind of yours, 'Ermione." she whispered affectionately, before letting go of the hand and rising.

When Hermione could breathe again, she had no words to say. A lame "thank you" was all she could manage.

Fleur smiled. "Of course. Now, we must finish sorting through zose 'orrid goblin case files. Do you zink you are up to it?"

Hermione nodded, her spirits brightened. "I always love a challenge."

* * *

Work had been both rewarding and entertaining, but Hermione was glad to get home and relax.

She had just sat down by the fire place and curled up with a good book, when a loud crack could be heard from the kitchen, followed by an obnoxious voice.

"Hey 'Mione!"

Hermione sighed, closing the book. "I thought I told you to apparate _outside_ my flat, Ronald."

The boy was still hopeless as ever. "C'mon 'Mione, don't be mad. I came to take you out to dinner."

Hermione felt a scowl coming on. "Saturday is tomorrow, Ron."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know that. But I thought we could go tonight instead, since my mission ended early and all."

Looking closer, Hermione could see that he was sweating slightly. _Is he nervous? And he actually dressed up for once…_

"I suppose we could," she finally agreed, not entirely sure what to make of it, "Could you give me a few minutes to get ready?"

Ron grinned. "Yeah, take all the time you need! I'll wait here."

Hermione quickly retreated to her room to make herself presentable. She had to use magic to speed up the process because she knew that Ron was impatient, and she really didn't feel like listening to him whine.

Ron smiled when she approached him. "You look pretty, Hermione."

He kissed her one the cheek and offered his arm.

They were immediately apparated to The Three Broomsticks, where Ron lead them to their usual table.

Hermione sighed. She could have guessed that this is where they'd go, it was Ron's favorite after all.

"So," Ron began with a grin, "How've you been? Are you ready to quit yet?"

"Actually," Hermione began, "I'm having a lovely time interning there. It turns out that Fleur is my mentor, and she been nothing short of wonderful."

Ron nodded, clueless. "Well, that's good then, right? Better than my job at least. There's been very little exciting things, just a bunch of surveillance."

Madam Rosmerta came over and took their orders, chatting with them a little bit before leaving.

Afterwards, the both of them just sat there in silence. Awkward silence.

Hermione couldn't help but compare this dinner to her previous one. It wasn't difficult to figure out which one she liked more. She stared at the table forlornly.

"Hey 'Mione, how come you aren't sayin' much?" Ron asked, taking a gulp of his butter beer. "Usually you're ranting about one thing or another."

Hermione looked up at him suddenly. "Ron, what do you think of Shakespeare?"

Ron scrunched his face up like he'd swallowed a bug. "What is a shake beard? Is that some new thing George's got goin'?"

Hermione sighed. "No, Ronald, he's a famous playwright."

Ron took another swig of his drink. "C'mon Mione, you know I don't like books, or writing. That's your thing."

Hermione looked back down at the table. "Right, I suppose it is."

_I…I have to say it…_

Ron fidgeted nervously.

"Mione-"

"Ron, I-"

They both stopped, having spoken at the same time.

"You first." Hermione said.

Ron nodded. "Okay," he reached over and grabbed her hand. She noticed his were all sweaty. "Mione…I want you to marry me."

And just like that, her whole world flipped on it's head.

"M-Marriage?" she sputtered, "Do you even know what that means?"

Ron nodded. "I want us to move in together, and have a bunch of children. We'll all be one big happy family."

Hermione stared him. "Ron, I…I can't."

His face fell. "Oh."

She felt guilty. "I'm sorry, Ron."

He shook his head. "Don't be, it's obviously too soon. I can wait until you're ready."

Hermione took a sip of her drink to steady herself. She needed to say this. "No…I mean I can't do this anymore." she said quietly, sadly, "I just…I can't love you the way that you want me to, anymore."

He looked confused, and then frustrated. "So…we're breaking up? Just like that then?" he asked, "Wait, is there someone else?"

Hermione felt her heart sink. "There…is someone. But! I promise that I haven't done anything with them."

Ron shook his head, his face pained. "I know, Hermione," he whispered, "I know you wouldn't do anything like that. It's one of the things I love about you. Always staying true to your morals…"

Hermione felt tears prick her eyes. "Ron, I'm so sorry…"

He had tears in his eyes too. "No, you can't help it, Mione…could you give me some time, though? To get over you, I mean. After that, I know we can be friends again."

They both stood up, and Hermione hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her carefully, a few tear drops landing on her shoulder.

"I'll always love you, Hermione Granger." he whispered.

"And I'll always love you, Ronald Weasley."

_Even if it is only as a dear friend._

* * *

AN: For whatever reason, I just couldn't seem to make Ron into a total jerk (which is odd, because he's my absolute LEAST favorite character. I think I'd rather pair Hermione with the Sorting Hat for godsakes!) Perhaps, it's because I didn't want Hermione to be all stressed out over her break up, I want her to be able to focus on her feelings for Fleur. :) So? What did you think?


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